Integrative Physiology > Endocrine > Flashcards

Endocrine Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

communication in the body via hormones

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2
Q

Endocrine glands are often small and scattered around in the body. Why don’t they need to touch?

A

Circulation of hormones occurs in the blood stream.

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3
Q

What do endocrine glands do?

A

secrete chemical messengers (hormones) into the bloodstream, which bind to specific receptor sites on target tissues

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4
Q

are hormones produced in large or small quantities

A

small

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5
Q

where are hormones secreted

A

into the intercellular space, then move to the blood

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6
Q

where are hormones transported

A

circulatory system (bloodstream)

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7
Q

where are target tissues?

A

everywhere in body

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8
Q

what is the pattern of hormone secretion?

A

All hormones vary in their pattern of secretion

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9
Q

Describe the half-life of hormones

A

Lipid-soluble hormones have long half-lives because they are not soluble in blood and need a carrier protein to be transported which makes them harder to break down

Water-soluble hormones have shorter half-lives. They also have more rapid onsets and short durations because they can dissolve into water (blood) and are degraded more readily.

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10
Q

What is the interaction of hormones with target cells?

A

need receptors to communicate.

Lipid-soluble hormones pass through cell membranes and attach to intracellular receptors

Water-soluble hormones usually attach to receptors on cell membranes and use second messengers to communicate with the cell.

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11
Q

What is endocrine sigaling?

A

How most hormones communicate. Gland releases hormone into blood. Hormone travels to cell and interacts with cell.

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12
Q

What is paracrine signaling?

A

Gland releases hormone which interacts with adjacent cells to target cell.

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13
Q

What is autocrine signaling?

A

hormones released from gland interact with receptors in/on same gland

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14
Q

What are the three patterns of hormone secretion?

A

Chronic, Acute, Episodic (cyclic)

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15
Q

What is chronic hormone secretion?

A

hormone is released for maintenance of a relatively constant concentration

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16
Q

what is an example of a chronically released hormone

A

thyroid hormone

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17
Q

what is acute hormone regulation?

A

hormone is rapidly released for a short period of time in response to a specific stimulus

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18
Q

what is an example of an acutely regulated hormone

A

insulin

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19
Q

what is episodic regulation

A

aka cyclic regulation. hormone is released in pulses at relatively consistent time intervals

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20
Q

what is an example of an episodic hormone?

A

female reproductive hormones

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21
Q

What feedback system do most hormones use

A

negative feedback

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22
Q

what is negative feedback

A

when products of a synthesis inhibit an earlier step in the cascade

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23
Q

what is humoral stimulus of a hormone?

A

something circulating in the bloodstream leads to hormone release
ex. low [ ] of Ca2+

hormone is secreted in response to a change in ion [ ]

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24
Q

What is neural stimulus of a hormone?

A

CNS is stimulated via nerves (autonomic regulation), which causes the preganglionic sympathetic fibers to stimulate the medulla of the adrenal gland (chromaffin cells) to release epinephrine and norepinephrine

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25
what is hormonal stimulus of a hormone?
Hormones act on various glands to stimulate the secretion of other hormones
26
What is a tropic hormone
hormones that target other endocrine glands to cause the release of other hormones
27
what is the hormonal stimuli cascade (draw on whiteboard and refer to slide 9)
external or internal condition processed by brain hypothalamus releasing hormone anterior pituitary releases a tropic hormone peripheral endocrine gland releases a hormone that acts in body and inhibits the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary
28
what does the hypothalamus do
1) links nervous sytem to endorine system via pituitary gland 2) synthesizes and releases releasing hormones which can stimulate or inhibit pituitary function
29
What is the pituitary gland?
small endocrine organ that is controlled by the hypothalamus. Directs other organs and endocrine glands to increase or decrease hormone production
30
what is another name for the pituitary gland?
the master gland
31
what is the nature of the posterior pituitary
neuronal. terminals of axonal extensions from the hypothalamus release hormone into bloodstream.
32
Where are hormones stored in the pituitary?
in the axon terminals of the posterior pituitary
33
describe the travel of information through the anterior pituitary (refer to slide 12)
neurosecretory cells in hypothalamus release releasing hormones to capillary bed. The releasing hormones travel through a blood vessel to the capillary bed in the ant. pit. and interact with endocrine cells there. The endocrine cells release hormones that travel to the posterior pituitary, where hormones can be released into circulation.
34
what is the hypophyseal portal?
circulation system that allows for direct transfer of a hormone from anterior pit. without having to travel through systemic circulation.
35
What are the two main advantages of using the hypophyseal portal system?
1) delivers hormones precisely and quickly 2) protects against degradation and keeps hormone concentration high.
36
What do releasing hormones in the hypothalamus travel through to get to the pituitary gland?
Primary capillary plexus, portal vein, secondary capillary plexus
37
What does RH mean in the name of a hormone
releasing hormone
38
What are the five types of endocrine cells in the pituitary gland?
lactotroph cells, thyrotrope cells, corticotrope cells, somatotroph cells, gonadotroph cells
39
What do lactotroph cells release
prolactin
40
what do thyrotrope cells release
TSH
41
what do corticotrope cells release
ACTH
42
what do somatotroph cells release
GH
43
what do gonadotroph cells release
LH, FSH
44
Which of the hormones released by anterior pituitary endocrine cells are exclusively tropic?
FLAT: FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH
45
What is ACTH
adrenocorticotropic hormone (adrenocorticotropin)
46
What hormones does the posterior pituitary gland release?
Oxytocin, Vasopressin (ADH)
47
How many amino acids are in oxytocin and ADH
9
48
what is the function of oxytocin?
uterine contraction, milk ejection in lactating females: responds to suckling reflex and estradiol
49
what is the function of ADH
responds to osmoreceptor which senses extracellular [Na+], BP regulation, increase water reabsorption from distal tubules in kidney
50
Are oxytocin and ADH released from endocrine cells
no, released from neurons in post. pit.
51
What are the four (three) types of hormones
amine, peptide (short), protein (long), steroid
52
What are the two types of amino acid-based hormones we talked about in class
tyrosine derivatives, tryptophan derivatives
53
what are some tyrosine derivative hormones?
thyroid hormones, catecholamines (epi, NRE)(from adrenal medulla)
54
What are thyroid hormones made of?
modifications of tyrosine
55
What are some tryptophan derivative hormones?
melatonin and a precursor to serotonin
56
What are peptide/protein hormones
The largest class of hormone, chains of amino acids, often made as large precursors that need to be modified to become active
57
how are peptide/protein hormones soluble
in water
58
How are peptide hormones produced?
preprohormones (signal sequence plus inactive precursor hormone) go to lumen of ER (instructions from signal sequence), ss is clipped off, leaving a prohormone (inactive hormone precursor) which is secreted in a secretory vesicle where it is also activated. Hormone is released into bloodstream.
59
Why should we not make an active peptide hormone?
multiple products can be made from one precursor (energy efficient), protects from degradation
60
when we test for insulin levels, what can we look for
[ ] of C peptide (fragment attached to proinsulin), has longer 1/2 life than insulin
61
Why do we package peptide hormones into vesicles for secretion?
protects against degradation, can build up hormone [ ] within a cell (storage)
62
where are the receptors for peptide hormones?
on outside of cells
63
what kind of signaling do peptide hormones do? Why?
2nd messenger signaling amplifies the signal of the hormone since most hormones circulate in low [ ].
64
Where are steroid hormones produced?
adrenal glands and gonads
65
what molecule is the base of all steroid hormones
cholesterol
66
are steroid hormones coded for by genes? what is the effect of this?
no, so small changes in structure can have huge effects.
67
what hormones are produced in the gonad
estradiol, testosterone, progesterone
68
what hormones are made in the adrenal gland
cortisol, aldosterone
69
how many steroid hormones are there
very few
70
what is steroid hormone production regulated by?
another hormone (usually a peptide) which is in turn, regulated by the steroid
71
How are steroid hormones soluble?
NOT water soluble, lipid soluble only
72
how do steroid hormones move through the blood? How does this affect the hormone?
need specific binding globulins to be carried in blood (also increases half-life and protects from degradation)
73
Do steroids have to be active when they leave the secreting cell?
No, they can be activated or modified at the target cell (androgen is converted to estrogen in the brain)
74
Where are steroid hormone receptors?
Inside cell or nucleus (hormone diffuses across the plasma membrane to bind to receptor)
75
What is the transcription factor for steroid hormones
the hormone-receptor complex
76
Can we put steroid hormones in secretory vesicles? What is the effect of this?
No we can't, they would diffuse through the membrane. We can't stockpile steroid hormones, they must be made on demand.
77
Draw out slide 27 To Remember on whiteboard
Know what is weird about thyroid hormones
78
Why is the pituitary gland called the master gland?
it regulates lots of biological processes
79
What is the neurohypophysis
posterior pituitary gland
80
what is a preprohormone
inactive precursor hormone plus signal sequence
81
what is a prohormone
inactive hormone precursor
82
where do preprohormones go to become hormones
to ER to become prohormones, then to Golgi to become hormones that get packaged into vesicles and released
Integrative Physiology
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